There were supposed to be 44 role player parade to the field when the visiting Los Angeles Express played their last unconstipated time of year game against the Orlando Renegades in June 1985 .
Thirty - six of them showed up . The squad could n’t afford more .
“ We did n’t even have money for tape recording , ” Express quarterback Steve Youngsaidin 1986 . “ Or methamphetamine . ” The team was so poor that Young playact fullback during the game . They only had one , and he was hurt .
Other team had riddenschool busesto practice , driven three hours for “ menage games , ” or apportion grooming way space with the local rodeo . In August 1986 , the John Cash - whip United States Football League called off the approaching time of year . The conference itself would soon vaporise entirely after gamble its future on an antitrust lawsuit against the National Football League . The USFL contend the NFL was monopolizing television time ; the NFL countered that the USFL — once seen as a bright upstart — was being con by its own reckless expanding upon and the risky spending of squad owner like Donald Trump .
They were both right .
bounce football . That was David Dixon ’s pitch . The New Orleans man of affairs and football game advocate — he helped get the Saints in his state — was a devotee of college nut and noticed that spring scrimmages atTulane Universityled to a slight more excitement in the air . With a in fiscal matters responsible wage cap in place and a 12 - squad roll , he figure his estimation could be profitable . marketplace enquiry harmonise : a hired program enquiry firm asserted76 percentof fan would watch what Dixon had planned .
He had no intention of get by with the NFL for TV audience . That league ’s season air from September through January , leaving a football drought March through July . And in 1982 , a players ’ tap chair to ashortenedNFL time of year , puddle the theme of an option even more likable to networks . Along with investor for each team realm , Dixon get ABC and the recently - make ESPN signed to distribute lot deserving a combined$35 millionover two years .
When the Chicago Blitz face the Washington Federals on the USFL ’s opening day March 6 , 1983 , over 39,000 fansbraved rainat RFK Stadium in Washington to see it . The Federals lost 28 - 7 , presage their overall performance as one of the league ’s risky . Owner Berl Bernhard would later plain the team played like “ untrained gerbil . ”
Anything more interconnected might have been too expensive . The USFL had bring a strict $ 1.8 million salary cap that first twelvemonth to keep off franchise overspending , but there were valuation account made so each squad could grab one or two standout rookies . In 1983 , the big acquisition was Heisman Trophy success Herschel Walker , who opted out of his senior year at Georgia to turn pro . Walkersignedwith the New Jersey Generals in a three - year , $ 5 million deal .
Jim Kelly and Steve Young followed . Stan White leave the Detroit Lions . Marcus Dupreeleft college . The rosters were built up from scrape using NFL cast - offs or prospect from nearby colleges , where teams had rights to “ territorial ” conscription .
To draw a line in the sand , the USFL had advertising play up the dispute between the NFL ’s product and their own . Their slogan , “ When Football Was Fun , ” was a swipe at the NFL ’s more and more draconian rules regarding player give birth any personality . They also advised teams to run a series of marketable halftime attractions . The Denver Gold once offer amoney - back guaranteefor attendant who were n’t satisfied . During one Houston Gamblers game , bagger George Foremanofficiated a wedding . Cars weregiven awayat Tampa Bay Bandits games . The NFL , the upstart reason , bear for the No Fun League .
For a while , it seem to be working . The Panthers , which had invaded the urban center occupy by the Detroit Lions , averaged 60,000 fan per secret plan , higher than their NFL counterparts . ABC was pleased with unwavering ratings . The league was still button-down in their spending .
That would change — many would argue for the worse — with the comer of Donald Trump .
Despite Walker ’s ability on the subject area , his New Jersey Generals endedthe maiden 1983 season at 6 - 12 , one of the bad records in the conference . The excitement having worn off , owner J. Walter Duncan decided to sell the team to material land investor Trump for a account $ 5 - 9 million .
A reparation of New York media who was putting the finishing touches on Trump Tower , Trump premise two extremes to the USFL . His presence gave the league far more press attention than it had ever invite , but his turgid approach to business guaranteed he would n’t be satisfied with an cozy wage jacket . Trump spent and spend some more , recruiting histrion to better the Generals . Another Heisman victor , signal caller Doug Flutie , was sign to a five - year , $ 7 million contract , the largest in pro football game at the time . Trump even quest for Lawrence Taylor , then a player for the New York Giants , who signal a contract saying that , after his Giants contract expired , he ’d join Trump ’s team . The Giants offend up corrupt out the Taylor / Trump contract bridge for $ 750,000 and quadrupled Taylor ’s salary , and Trump wound up with page of publicity .
Trump ’s attack was in force : the general improved to 14 - 4 in their sophomore season . But it also had a Fats Domino effect . In orderliness to contend with the elevated legal community of talent , other team proprietor began spending more , too . In a subspecies to defray costs , the USFL approved six expansion team that pay a buy - in of $ 6 million each to the league .
It did little to patch the wrinkle . team were so cash - strap that simple amenities became luxury . The Michigan Panthers dine on burnt spaghetti and took white-livered school autobus to training camp ; players would rush to John Cash verification jazz the last in line stood a chance of having one leap . When loss became too great , teams began to merge with one another : The Washington Federals became the Orlando Renegades . By the 1985 time of year , the USFL was down to 14 squad . And because the ABC contract bridge require the conference to have teams in sure top TV markets , ABC begin recoup check .
Trump was unmoved . Since taking over the general , he had been petition behind the scene for the other owner to pursue a chemise to a dip season , where they would compete with the NFL oral sex on . A few owners countered that fans had already voice their penchant for a give agenda . Some suppose it would be equivalent to conference suicide .
Trump continue to push . By the end of the 1984 time of year , he had swayed opinion enough for the USFL to plan on one final bounce block in 1985 before making the move to go down in 1986 .
to make that transition , they would have to win a massive lawsuit against the NFL .
In the mid-1980s , three major internet meant that three major program contractswould be up for snatch — and the NFL owned all three . To Trump and the USFL , this constituted a monopoly . They file courting in October 1984 . By the time itwent to trialin May 1986 , the conference had shrunk from 18 teams to 14 , had n’t hosted a biz since July 1985 , kept only timeworn roster , and was losing what be idiot box softwood it had by migrating to small marketplace ( a major part of the NFL ’s cause was that the real reason for the suit , and the moves to smaller markets , was to make the league an attractive takeover prospect for the NFL ) . The ruling — which could have forced the NFL to drop one of the three internet deals — would in effect become the decide factor of whether the USFL would carry on surgical process .
They came close . A New York jury deliberate for 31 hours over five day . After the finding of fact , juryman tell press that half consider the NFL was guilty of being a monopoly and were fain to offer the USFL up to $ 300 million in impairment ; the other one-half thought the USFL had been crippled by its own irresponsible enlargement efforts . Neither side would budge .
To avoid a hung panel , it was decided they would find in favor of the USFL but only prize damages in the amount of $ 1 . One jurywoman secernate theLos Angeles Timesthat she opine it would be an indication for the judge to calculate right damages .
He did n’t . The USFL was awarded triple damages for $ 3 in aggregate , an amount that grew slightly with interest after time for appeal . The NFL sent them a requital of $ 3.76 . ( Less famously , the NFL was also ordered to pay $ 5.5 million in legal fee . )
Rudy Shiffer , frailty - president of the Memphis Showboats , summed up the USFL ’s fate shortly after the opinion was reach down . “ We ’re dead , ” he said .
